College of Arts and Science Academic Catalog 2008-2009
THe University
Chartered on March 14, 1908 and originally established as a State Normal and Industrial School for Women, the institution has evolved into a state-assisted, coeducational university consisting of two colleges. One is located on the original campus in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and is a predominantly undergraduate residential college of the liberal arts and sciences recognized as offering one of America’s outstanding programs of liberal learning. The second is the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. Opened in 1999, on a new campus in nearby Stafford County, this non-residential and primarily graduate college is designed to support lifelong learning, professional advancement, and regional economic development by providing programs tailored to the needs of adult learners, professionals, and members of the business community. In addition to offering separate degree programs tailored to meet the needs of their primary student populations, the two colleges are involved in developing new collaborative programs designed to bring the faculty and students of the two campuses together in exciting and innovative academic programs.
Throughout these changes in the University’s mission and structure, one characteristic has been constant: the commitment to academic excellence. The institution continues to be recognized as one of the nation’s best small universities by such authoritative publications as U.S. News and World Report, Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, The Fiske Guide to Colleges, and The Princeton Review.
Several factors contribute to the institution’s excellence. Foremost among these are the expertise and commitment of the faculty. Members of the faculty are energetically engaged in productive research and scholarship, which lead to the advancement of their particular disciplines. At the same time, however, it is teaching that is their primary goal and purpose.
Teaching effectiveness is enhanced by the small size of most classes, which encourages personal interaction between faculty and students. Moreover, faculty devote much attention to students’ concerns beyond the classroom, working closely with them on matters of academic, career, and personal development.
Every institution of higher learning accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools possesses a brief, formal statement of institutional purpose. This statement defines the mission and role of the institution. It also provides a clear sense of overarching direction and a benchmark against which institutional effectiveness may be gauged. The official mission statement of the University, adopted by its governing Rector and Board of Visitors and approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, is as follows:
University of Mary Washington Mission Statement
The University of Mary Washington is committed to being a premier public institution of higher education, cultivating an environment of academic excellence, fostering lifelong learning, pursuing knowledge, and providing service to its constituent communities. The University provides the framework within which multiple colleges, schools, and affiliated organizations can accomplish their distinctive purposes. The University will be responsive to the changing needs of the student populations and the communities in which it thrives. All members of the University community – students, faculty, and staff – are expected to participate in service to the institution and encouraged to engage in service to the larger community and to society.
The University’s undergraduate, residential college of arts and sciences, Mary Washington College on the Fredericksburg campus, emphasizes excellence in liberal learning through freedom of inquiry, personal responsibility, and intellectual integrity. Instructional and experiential programs provide students a strong general education, an understanding of their responsibilities as citizens in the broader, diverse community, and the skills necessary for creative and productive lives. To achieve these goals the college requires its undergraduates to pursue broad studies in the arts, the humanities, and the sciences as a necessary supplement to a concentration in a particular field. The college regards the provision of high-quality instruction as its most important function. Through an active and professionally engaged faculty, the college supports ongoing research appropriate to the development of student abilities and faculty interests. It especially encourages the participation of undergraduates in research.
The University’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies on the Stafford campus supports lifelong learning, professional advancement, and regional economic development by providing accessible, quality education tailored to the needs of adult learners, professionals, and members of the business community. The College values integrity, open-mindedness, and fairness and has excellence in teaching as its highest priority. The faculty actively participate in the applied, intellectual, and scholarly developments of their academic disciplines and emphasize the integration of theory and practice in the classroom.
History and Development of the University
The institution was founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women in Fredericksburg. The name was changed in 1924 to the State Teachers College at Fredericksburg, and again in 1938 to Mary Washington College, having transformed over the years to Virginia’s public liberal arts college for women. Then in 1944, Mary Washington College became affiliated with the University of Virginia as its women’s undergraduate arts and sciences division. In 1970 the entire University became coeducational and in 1972, by action of the General Assembly of Virginia, the College became an independent, state-supported institution for women and men, with its own governing board. On July 1, 2004, the General Assembly named the institution University of Mary Washington. The University Mission Statement, adopted on July 17, 2004 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Mary Washington, identifies Mary Washington College on the Fredericksburg campus as the University’s undergraduate, residential college of arts and sciences and the College of Graduate and Professional Studies on the Stafford campus as the University’s non-residential and primarily graduate college.
Through an emphasis on quality, the University attracts students from all areas of Virginia, particularly the urban areas of Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Tidewater. Approximately 25 percent of its on-campus resident students are from other states and foreign countries, with the largest population coming from Southern, Middle Atlantic, and New England states. Located in the middle of a rapidly growing Washington-Richmond “urban corridor,” the University of Mary Washington serves the educational needs of both full-time and part-time, commuting students.
To meet the diverse academic goals sought by students in today’s society, the college of arts and sciences, Mary Washington College, is organized into academic departments of one or more disciplines and offers more than 30 undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences. Four degrees are awarded at the Fredericksburg campus: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Liberal Studies, and Master of Science in Elementary Education Emphasis upon excellence in the pursuit of liberal learning has traditionally been at the core of the College’s educational philosophy, and commitment to this concept will continue.
In 1999, responding to accelerating demographic changes that increased the demand for educational
services within the region, the University opened the Center for Graduate and Professional Studies (later called James Monroe Center), located at a new campus in nearby Stafford County. In 2004, this became the University’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies. With its own distinctive mission, this College offers programs appropriate
to the region’s economic development needs and provides educational opportunities for the personal lifelong learning and professional advancement objectives of
the citizens of the region. Degrees awarded by the College of Graduate and Professional Studies are as follows: Bachelor of Professional Studies, Master of Education, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Science in Management Information Systems.
As the University evaluates its offerings, it will build upon its high-quality programs and propose curricular additions and adjustments specifically designed to meet new and increased demands.
COMMUNITY VALUES
Several elements contribute significantly to the fulfillment of the University’s mission. One is the encouragement of, and respect for, individual and cultural diversity. The University also insists upon an atmosphere of civility and tolerance consistent with the ideals of a community of scholars. Toward that end, the University embraces a statement of community values and expectations concerning the behavior of its members. This statement declares that the
University of Mary Washington is an academic community dedicated to the highest standards of scholarship, personal integrity, responsible conduct, and respect for the individual. We hold among our foremost common values:• the importance of personal integrity as reflected in adherence to the
Honor Code
• the right of every individual to be treated with dignity and respect at
all times
• the acceptance of and respect for diversity in our community and
adherence to the University’s Statement of Non-Discrimination, and
• the freedom of intellectual inquiry in the pursuit of truth.
As members of the University community, we refuse to tolerate behavior
that in any way compromises or threatens these values.
THE HONOR SYSTEM
Another element basic to the University’s mission is adherence to the Honor System, which constitutes one of the distinctive features of student life at the institution. This system, based upon the integrity of each student, provides that a student shall act honorably in all facets of campus life. The Honor Pledge required on quizzes, examinations, and other coursework means that the work which the student submits is the student’s own, completed according to requirements for the course as determined by the instructor. Lying, cheating, and stealing are specific infringements of the Honor Code. In the case of an alleged violation, an Honor hearing is conducted by an elected Honor Council, with the verdict determined by
a randomly selected jury of students. In case of a conviction, the student may receive punishment ranging from community service to permanent dismissal from the University, and the sanction will be noted on the student’s permanent academic transcript. All students and faculty should understand that by joining the University of Mary Washington community they commit themselves to living by and upholding the Honor System.
THE CAMPUSES
The learning environment of the University of Mary Washington is further enhanced by the very location and physical characteristics of each campus. The University is named for the mother of George Washington, who lived most of her life in Fredericksburg and is buried nearby the College of Arts and Sciences. Fredericksburg is a place of extraordinary historical significance in both the Revolutionary and Civil War eras. Indeed, the original campus is located on Marye’s Heights, a Confederate artillery position in the 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg, and major historic sites abound throughout the area.
The spacious Fredericksburg campus, located in an established residential neighborhood, is exceptionally attractive. Both academic and residential buildings, consistent in their neoclassical, Jeffersonian style of architecture, are interspersed along a wide brick Campus Walk that extends for over a half-mile from one end of campus to the other. With vehicular traffic and parking confined to the edges of campus, the grounds offer extensive park-like space including substantial stretches of lawn and large wooded areas.
The College of Graduate and Professional Studies is located on the Stafford campus. This campus, located seven miles north of the Fredericksburg campus, is situated on a 48-acre site surrounded by trees in the heart of one of the region’s rapidly developing business, technology, and residential corridors. The campus location, parking, and modern architectural design have been carefully tailored to maximize convenience and educational quality for working adult commuting students, while remaining faithful to the high aesthetic standards of the University. For more information about the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, consult the College of Graduate and Professional Studies Academic Catalog.
Two historic sites are also owned and administered by the University of Mary Washington: Belmont, the home of famed impressionist artist Gari Melchers, and the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, located on the site of James Monroe’s Fredericksburg law office. Overlooking the Rappahannock River, Belmont is a carefully restored 18th-century house and early 20th-century artist’s studio, which now serves as a gallery of Melchers’ work. The James Monroe Museum exhibits the life and times of America’s fifth president and houses artifacts, an archive, and a presidential library. Working in conjunction with the University’s Department of Historic Preservation, the Museum promotes education in museum practice, research, public history, and collections management.
Whatever degree program students may choose – and whether they reside on campus or commute – the aim of the University of Mary Washington is not merely to insure that its students are well-trained in a discipline and well-prepared for productive employment. The basic goal of the University is much broader and ultimately more important: to insure the development of those skills of writing, speaking, and critical thinking that make possible a lifetime of creativity and intellectual development.
In short, the University of Mary Washington – through its rich history, educational philosophy, and exceptional environment for learning – offers today’s students a superior opportunity for obtaining a broad, liberal education based upon honesty, freedom of inquiry, personal responsibility, and intellectual integrity that will provide the foundation for meeting the challenges and attaining the potentialities of the 21st century.
STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
The University of Mary Washington subscribes to the principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, sex, or age in recruiting, admitting, and enrolling students or in hiring and promoting faculty and staff members. The University will not recognize or condone student, faculty, or staff organizations that discriminate in selecting members. Complaints of discrimination or questions should be directed to the AAEEO Officer of the University.